United States, New Mexico, 1989. Signed and dated 1989 on right hind leg though signature is difficult to decipher. An endearing wood carving of a long-eared rabbit or desert hare created in New Mexico. Skillfully hand-carved and hand-painted in shades of grey with a white chest and snout, a pink nose and mouth, black almond-shaped eyes, and strokes of black, white, and pink highlighting the ears and body, this rabbit sits at attention, gazing ahead with an adorable whiskered visage. The proud rabbit also wears a bandana decorated with an array of Southwest motifs - suns, serpents, horseshoes, desert spiders, and prairie dogs - in pleasing hues of pink, brown, grey, and white. In the Southwest, the rabbit or desert hare is thought to be symbolic of prosperity, rainfall, and fertility. Size: 7.5" L x 7.375" W x 18.3" H (19 cm x 18.7 cm x 46.5 cm)

Just a few years ago, the Museum of International Folk Art presented an exhibition of New Mexican animal wood carvings titled, "Wooden Menagerie: Made in New Mexico" (April 6, 2014 - February 15, 2015). Their announcment provided the following history of the artform, "During the Work Progress Administration (WPA) period of the 1930’s, the traditional arts of the region gained resurgence through federal programmed that trained and employed New Mexican folk artists, In 1936, Patrocino Barela’s expressionistic woodcarvings created under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project were a part of New Horizons in American Art at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The wood carving tradition continued into the 1960’s primarily for the tourist trade with classic carvings of burros and oxen drawn carts. During this time artists started experimenting with recycled materials and common household paint. The decade of the 1970’s was a dramatic period that fostered the powerful animistic forms of Felipe Archuleta and his workshop of carvers. By the 1980’s Archuleta’s animal sculptures were highly sought after by collectors and curators. His menagerie of domestic and exotic animals made their way to museum exhibits in New York, Paris and Tokyo. This exhibition celebrated the rich Hispano folk tradition of animal wood carving in New Mexico and the continued influence on the national and international scene. The exhibition highlighted the historic roots of New Mexican woodcarvers, offering early twentieth century examples of whimsical animals including works by Jose Dolores Lopez and Celso Gallegos. The excitement around the workshops of the New Mexican animal carvers created an insatiable market that spurred on innovations by Alonso Jimenez, Jim Davila, David Alvarez and Leroy Ortega. This generation of carvers fostered the iconic images of friendly burros, howling coyotes, and Technicolor rattlesnakes, reaching deep into the popular culture of the Southwestern United States. These animal sculptures have become emblematic of Santa Fe’s cultural character."

Provenance: ex-private Boulder, Colorado, USA collection, acquired in the min-20th century

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#176780

Signed and dated 1989 on right hind leg. Signature is difficult to decipher. Whiskers are somewhat bendable. Fissures to the paint at base of one ear and rear feet suggest that the ears and feet (possibly front legs too) were carved separately and attached. Nail head visible on underside of one foot. Minor scuffs, nicks and age cracks as shown. Overall very nice.